Letters - 21 March 2014

From equality to Tony Benn

Testimony to equality

I think Friends are using our testimony to equality more and more as the yardstick in deciding moral and practical questions. This is a very good thing. But I sometimes worry in case it might establish a form of ‘political correctness’ that would inhibit us from marvelling at Friends’ different contributions and celebrating the uniqueness of each person.

John Lampen

What does love require?

What does love require of us towards our neighbours?

Yes, we protest about benefit cuts, particularly the absurd ‘bedroom tax’.

We may protest mightily, but what do we do? Do we incur personal cost?

Musing around this, I see ways we could do so. In particular, I have come to wonder whether, as a ‘religious society’, we should reconsider our conventional attitude to Gift Aid tax diversion.

To be Quakers, do we really need state financial support? Politically, surely not. Socially, why should we tap depleted social security funds, especially when the state is vastly in debt and still borrowing?

I would welcome debate, by email or post.

John Arnold
johnarnold@data1.plus.com

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